By The Ear
by Destiny5377
Summary: Robin loses her sight during a witch hunt and now odd things are happening that she can't control or understand.
1. Default Chapter

A/N: Well, this is a fic I started at another site and finally decided to dig up and try to finish. It's one of my earlier fics and my first WHR fic ever...actually,this is the only WHR fic I've written...

Disclaimer: I don't think wishing to own WHR for a birthday wish considers as owning it.

* * *

**By the Ear**

**Chapter 1**

With each stride, her heavy black dress swished around her legs, refusing to be moved. Her breaths came quick and her heart beat with anxiety. She could see no more than five feet in front of her in the dimly lit corridor and could do nothing but follow her instincts to where her fellow witch hunters were. She had accidentally dropped her communicator while battling with the witch earlier. Out of fear for her friends' lives, she took off without picking it up when the witch teleported away.

She came to a fork in the hallway and paused indecisively. Instead of slowing, her heart beat even faster than before, so afraid that she was going to be too late. A muffled cry rang out in the distance and she ran down the path to her right. _Was it Karasuma's voice she just heard_? She hoped against all odds that it wasn't.

The corridor was no longer lit and she groped around in pitch darkness. She stumbled over a large bundle of cloth and fell hard to the floor. In horror, she reached over to the bundle of clothes and found herself touching the face of someone. A hand reached up slowly and took her arm in earnest. "Robin? Is that you?" came a groan from the bundle.

"Sakaki? What happened?" Robin struggled to untangle her skirts from his body.

"Ugh. I don't really know. All I know is that I was following Amon and Karasuma when I was suddenly thrown into a wall with either a really hard punch or a really strong psychic blast. I hit my head on the floor pretty hard when I landed and got knocked out. You better hurry and find Amon and Karasuma. They'll probably need your help."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Just give me a couple of minutes to recuperate," replied Sakaki while releasing her arm. "Hurry. I'll be there was soon as I can."

Robin nodded, forgetting that Sakaki couldn't tell in the darkness. When she stood, her dress rustled in protest while she slipped on her glasses. The pair that Amon had given her. _Amon_, she thought, _I'm coming. Please hold on_.

...........................

Robin was greeted by a potent blast of power the moment she stepped into the small, dark room. She stumbled back a few steps and fell to her knees, the pain in her chest unbearable. She glanced over and saw that Karasuma and Amon were also in the same position she was in: bent over and grimacing in pain.

The witch laughed manically and pinned the three hunters to the wall with invisible hands that choked the air from their lungs. Robin glared at the unseen arm holding her above ground and flames licked out the form of a human arm before it disintegrated to ashes. She fell to the floor and coughed, gasping for air. Once she caught her breath, she gazed intently to the open space in front of Amon and Karasuma and they too fell to the floor.

Enraged by now, Robin looked up at the witch and, with surprise evident in her eyes, barely had enough time to roll away from another psychic blast. Robin hurried to her feet and clenched her fists in anger. She had had enough of this. A jet of fire burst towards the witch but was deflected back at her. A wall of flame blocked the deflected fire and absorbed it. She sent the whole wall flying at the witch and fed it continuously with small spheres of fire.

Robin's lips twitched into a small smile just before the inferno hit her target. Suddenly, the blazing firestorm was sent back her way and the witch was unscathed. Robin didn't have time to react and could only stare in shock at the incoming mass of fire.

"Robin, look out!" shouted Amon too late. His eyes widened in horror as he watched Robin get engulfed in her own craft. Her screams of agony and pain rang loud in his ears and he tried to tear his eyes from the sight of Robin being burned alive but his body would not listen. At last, her cries subsided and the fire died down. He growled viciously and the usual ice in his eyes was melted by pure hatred. Amon at last tore his gaze from Robin and glared at the witch. "You bastard! You'll pay for this, I swear it!"

Amon rushed at the witch, unexpectedly, and knocked him off his feet. He was too angry to even use his orbo gun. He just wanted to squeeze the living daylights out of this hated witch who had just killed the only person in the world he had ever truly cared about. "Damn you!" He punched the witch in the face until several gashes appeared and blood began to pour from the witch's wounds. Suddenly Amon was knocked back by a psychic blast. He reached for his gun finally and shot the witch as he tried to get up. Amon continued to shoot after the witch had fallen unconscious until he had no more ammo. Then, he fell to his knees and silently lamented the loss of Robin.

Karasuma, shocked by what had just happened, was further surprised by Amon's sudden display of emotion. She had never, in all her years of working with him, ever seen him so upset. Still on her knees, she crawled over to Robin and put out remaining fire around her with her coat. She braced herself for what she was sure would be the charred remains of her young friend.

Karasuma let out a small gasp of surprise when she finally was able to look at Robin. "Robin...she's alive?" Amon's head snapped up and looked over at Karasuma and Robin. "How's that possible?"

Amon tried to stand and hurry to where Robin and Karasuma were but his left leg gave out beneath him. The witch had broken his leg and he hadn't even realized it during their fight. He leaned against the walls and slowly shuffled his way toward Robin painfully. He dropped down beside her and gazed at her in amazement. Other than her singed hair and eyelashes, she looked practically unscathed. Her pearl-like skin was slightly darkened by the smoke but there was no evidence of any burns.

"Amon! Karasuma! What happened to Robin?" Sakaki came blundering in. Karasuma shot him a death glare while Amon was completely oblivious to anything but Robin.

Amon gently brushed the stray hairs from Robin's face but quickly removed his hand when he saw that he had smudged his own blood on her. His heart leapt when her eyes fluttered momentarily before coming to a rest. "Amon..." Her voice was cracked and weak but it was a comfort to him to know that she still lived. However, she slipped into a coma soon after despite Amon's unvoiced call for her to be strong.

"Call Michael and tell him to get an ambulance as well as the factory," said Amon in his normal detached voice though his eyes were filled with pain.

Sakaki stuttered, "Uh, y-yeah. Of course." He stood a little ways off and tried to explain to Michael what had just occurred. The factory came a few minutes later and immediately rushed off the witch who was in critical condition due to the injuries Amon inflicted on him. As soon as they left, the ambulance arrived and lifted Robin onto a stretcher and gave her a oxygen mask.

Amon tried to stay by her side, but his broken leg thwarted him. _Damn!_ he swore in his head as his eyes lingered on Robin's limp form being carried away from him.

"Hey Mister!" called out a voice. Amon snapped from his daze and glared at the EMT who broke his unwavering concentration on Robin.

"What do you want?" he asked frostily.

The EMT cringed but responded with relative steadiness, "Uh...we need to get you on a stretcher as well, sir. We need to treat your leg." 

Amon frowned but allowed them to help him onto a stretcher. They led him to another ambulance that just pulled up, away from the one Robin was put into. "Stop!" The EMTs looked at him in surprise. "Let me onto the same ambulance as her." He commanded but then added as an afterthought, "Please."

"Sorry, sir, but only one stretcher can fit into an ambulance at one time."

Amon swore again but could do nothing but comply. _Robin...I swear I won't ever let you get hurt like this ever again. I just hope you can live through it this time_. Then he chastised himself for even thinking that Robin might...just maybe, not make it.

* * *

A/N: So I know it's kinda short, but I already combined three chapters to make this one bigger one. I used not like writing long chapters. Now I figure it's better to have one long update not so often rather than a bunch of smaller chapters real often. It makes it easier to write. Kay, I'll shut up now.


	2. Chapter Two

**By The Ear**

**Chapter 2**

Darkness engulfed Robin as she struggled to see where she was. She heard voices all around her...so many voices, but she could not tell where the owners of the voices were. The crazed laughter of the witch they had just hunted came back to haunt her from every corner of her mind and she took off running as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her face but she could not see them. The witch's laugh persisted relentlessly and she let out her craft all around her without any regard for anything. She had encircled herself in a ring of fire yet she could only feel the heat and could not see the flames. She fell to her knees and called out the first thing that came to her mind. "Amon! Where are you?" she sobbed despairingly.

* * *

Amon stirred in his sleep when he felt commotion on the bed he sat next to. He forced his tired lids open to see Robin drenched in sweat and visibly upset in her sleep. On instinct, he took her small hands in one hand and with his other wiped the wet strands of hair from her slim face. His hand lingered there for a moment longer. Although her beautiful emerald eyes were bandaged and hidden from his sight, he could still feel the determination and trust they displayed every time her gaze was turned upon him. "It's going to be all right, Robin. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise."It was as if she could actually hear him because she immediately calmed after he spoke those words of comfort he could never say when she was conscious. It wasn't that he didn't want to take all her pains away with his words. It was just that he was so mesmerized by her infectious smile, her confident countenance, and just about everything about her, that he could never find the words to express his feelings.

* * *

Broken down at last, Robin unremittingly wept at the awful sense of abandonment. Suddenly her sobs stopped when she heard Amon's voice in the distance. Tears continued to flow but her heart skipped in hope. _It's going to be all right, Robin. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise_.

His words echoed within her head and she relished every syllable. Somehow she took comfort in his simple yet heart-felt words like nothing before. The very thought of his presence was enough to qualm her of her fears.

* * *

Amon sighed and leaned back when given no further signs of Robin's awakening. He still held onto her hand and he examined her silky white skin and the minor burn scars that decorated it. It had been two weeks since she slipped into a coma and she still showed no indication of coming around. His leg was still in a cast so he was excused from work at the STN-J until he recuperated. He didn't mind, though. He spent nearly every minute of every day vigilantly watching over Robin like a guardian angel. _Only I'm no angel_, he mused to himself.

His mind flashbacked to when the doctor told the crew at the STN-J the terrible news. It was a day he would never forget...

* * *

"Doctor, how is she?" asked Amon in earnest. He stood menacingly close enough to really hurt the man if something happened to Robin. Although he was on crutches and looked worse for wear, he still had that ominous presence that could strike fear into the bravest of men.

Still, the doctor, Dr. Toshiro, was not intimidated by Amon. He merely glanced around at the anxious faces of the STN-J members before locking onto Amon's slate eyes. Slowly but deliberately, he reported his diagnosis on Robin. "Well, she has a couple of minor burns on her forearms and neck which should heal in time. Of course, there will probably always be scars but considering what you have told me about the situation, I'm surprised she's alive and not in worse condition."

A universal breath of relief chorused in from the worried hunters. "But when will Robin awaken from her coma?" asked Dojima. Her normally cheerful blue eyes were red from tears and dark bags indicated that she had not slept much. Sakaki put a reassuring arm around her waist and she leaned into him gratefully.

Dr. Toshiro sighed sadly and hesitated before replying. "As of right now, we have no idea when Miss Sena will wake up. Our CT scans show that she obtained no brain damage and it is a complete mystery to us as to why she is even in a coma." A long moment of silence passed as each hunter was enthralled within their own thoughts.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by a loud ring that was emitted from Amon's jacket pocket. He scowled as he took the call. "Yes. What is it Michael?" A long pause ensued and he clenched his jaw tightly. "How did that happen?" The other members of the STN-J looked at him oddly and he slowly hobbled away until he was out of earshot.

"What was that all about?" asked Sakaki. Karasuma and Dojima only shrugged in response.

"Well, now that he's gone, I have some more troubling news to tell you," said Dr. Toshiro. He glanced over at Amon to make sure he could not hear what he was about to say.

Sakaki, Dojima, and Karasuma exchanged worried looks and hesitated to ask what the troubling news was. In the end, Sakaki summoned up the courage to ask. "What do you mean?"

"Though Miss Sena was practically unscathed by the fire, the nerves in her eyes were badly damaged."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" asked Dojima shakily. She clung onto Sakaki's jacket nervously while his grip around her tightened.

Dr. Toshiro sighed. He hated it when he was the one that had to break bad news to family and friends. "Robin Sena...may lose her vision for good."

Everything tuned out and the world was silent for that moment. Amon stood in shock at what he had just walked in to hear and he felt like he had been slapped hard across the face with a wet towel. Then he growled deeply, dropped his crutches, and grabbed Dr. Toshiro by his collar. "What are you talking about?" he spat angrily.

"Amon, stop! It's not his fault!" cried out Karasuma. She was the only one with sense enough to not just stare at Amon while he nearly choked the life from the poor doctor. 

Finally, Sakaki snapped to his senses and separated Amon and Dr. Toshiro. Amon looked enervated and he put a hand against the wall for support. "But she's still so young. How can this happen to her?"

Dr. Toshiro regained his composure quickly. He had plenty of experience in this area and it wasn't the first time an upset friend or family had tried to take his life for giving them news they did not want to hear. Still, his heart went out to this young, he assumed, couple. He did not want to get their hopes up but he couldn't just stand by and say nothing. "Listen. It might not be too late. There is a new type of eye surgery that can possibly restore a person's sight. It doesn't work for those whose eyesight have gradually worsened over the years but for people like Miss Sena, it offers a ray of hope. However, I must warn you that it is still purely experimental and that I cannot ensure you of the results."

"What are the chances of the surgery working actually working then?" asked Karasuma.

"Well, as of right now, it is only a fifty-fifty chance of it being a successful surgery. And I must also add that if it is not successful, then Miss Sena will have no chance at all of recovering her eyesight." Dr. Toshiro waited a moment before going on. "Of course, she must first be awake to give her consent to the surgery. I suggest that she wait a while before deciding to do it though. There is always the possibility of her recovering on her own. Anyhow, all must wait until she comes out of a coma. Oh, and visitors are allowed now but only two at a time. We don't want to overcrowd the room."

With that, the doctor took his leave. Everyone hung their heads slightly and sighed. Then Sakaki suddenly remembered the phone call. "Hey Amon. What did Michael call you about?"

"Nothing. He just wanted to know how Robin was doing."

Karasuma raised an eyebrow skeptically. She could usually tell when Amon was lying. Still, she said nothing for the moment. "Sakaki and Dojima, why don't you guys wait a little while Amon and I go visit Robin."

"Uh, okay," replied Sakaki.

Karasuma helped Amon pick up his crutches and nearly pushed him through the door. Amon flinched when he saw Robin hooked up to all the machinery that monitored her status. Her head was bound around her eyes with clean white bandages and an oxygen mask covered the rest of her face. Her reddish blonde hair draped over her shoulders, masking the burn marks on her neck. Her hands were folded on her stomach and rough burns marred her once-flawless skin. She looked so frail, so innocent, so undeserving of the fate that befell her.

Amon made his way slowly to her and sat close to her on the bed. Karasuma took his crutches so that they wouldn't be in the way and sighed. She never knew Amon was capable of caring for anyone. But, it seemed that this girl had truly changed him. She watched silently as Amon touched Robin's cheek lightly and then took her hands in his. Karasuma smiled at the site and was reluctant to break the moment. However, there was something she absolutely _had_ to talk to Amon about.

"Amon, why did you lie to Sakaki at first?"

His eyes remained fixated on his and Robin's intertwined fingers. There was no use lying to her and he knew it. "Michael...told me that the witch we hunted earlier, Yukio Kane, had escaped from the factory."

Karasuma took in a sharp intake of breath and stuttered, "B-but...how is that possible? You nearly beat him to a pulp and he still was able to escape?"

"I don't know. From what Michael said, however, he was in perfectly fine condition when he escaped."

"What do you plan on doing, then?"

"I don't know." In reality, Amon knew full well what he was going to do. As soon as he was off his crutches and back into hunting condition, he would hunt that witch down if it was the last thing he did. He already determined in his mind that he would kill him with his own bare hands if needed. Karasuma could feel some of the anger emitted from him yet she said nothing. She knew she could do nothing to sway him once he was resolved to do something.

"Okay." She paused, trying to find the right words so that she would not upset Amon. "What if, and I mean what if...Robin can't control her powers once she wakes up. Amon, have you ever thought that if Robin can't control her powers any more, we might end up having to hunt her?"

"I have." Karasuma was surprised by his answer. She didn't expect him to have thought about anything other than Robin's safety. But then again, Amon was the most clear-minded and calculating person she had ever met.

"So what will you do?"

"I will try to help her control her powers."

Karasuma nearly laughed aloud at his naivety. Now that was definitely something she did not expect. "Then what? Or what if Solomon has already deemed her useless as a hunter and just wishes to discard of her? What would you do then?"

"I don't know, alright?" Irritation lined his voice.

"Would you protect her...or would you turn against her like you did to Kate?" she asked slowly and quietly. With that, she turned and left Amon alone with Robin.

Though her intentions were purely good-hearted, Karasuma had opened a door Amon wasn't ready for...and brought back painful memories along with it.


	3. Chapter Three

A/N: Yeah, I know Amon is a little OOC, but he's just too hard of character to keep in character, you knw what I mean? Eh...anyway, not much to say again. I think I'm talking--er, typing--just for the sake of it. Well, whatever. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Still don't own it......sadly.....Or maybe its a good thing I don't own it? Hm...

**By The Ear**

**Chapter Three**

_Would you protect her...or would you turn against her like you did to Kate?_

Karasuma's words echoed in Amon's head as he returned to the present. He looked over at Robin and her frail appearance. At times, she seemed so mature and older than she was. At other times, she was just a little girl that wanted assurance and a place in the world. "Amon..." she whimpered softly before falling silent, as if she had said nothing in the first place. He knew, then, what he had to do. No matter what was to come, he would protect her through everything. He would make her a place in the world even if all else casts her out.

He got up from the chair at her bedside and instead seated himself next to her on the hospital bed. He lightly brushed her cheek and kissed her gently on the forehead. "When will you wake up, Robin?" he whispered, his face still hovering inches above hers. "You are the promise of something better to come... the hope of a future better than the one I'm heading towards... my hope... Will you wake up and embrace this future with me?"

He sighed sadly and went back to his old chair beside her. He had never expected himself to say something as gushy as that. Well, not out loud anyway. Robin had that effect on him. Always able to make him say what he didn't want to say and do what he didn't want to do. Even when unconscious she was able to do that to him. _Is this what love feels like?_ he wondered.

* * *

Robin smiled happily every time she heard Amon's voice. Although she was lost in darkness, his voice always provided a light out into momentary daylight. Besides, they were words that Robin knew Amon would never say under normal circumstances. "What was it that he had called me earlier? Oh yes, his hope." Her lips twitched into a small smile and her voice lingered on hope. 

However she frowned when darkness engulfed her again. When will she ever find her way out of this dark abyss?

"Robin Sena..."

She spun around in surprise. The voice seemed to be coming from every corner of her dark world. "Who's there?"

"Do not be afraid." Suddenly, a door opened and pure light flooded the area. A hooded figure stood outlined in the doorway. It walked forward until it was in right in front of Robin before stopping. It slowly lowered its hood and Robin gasped in surprise. Her mirror image stood before her, gazing at her with crisp cobalt eyes rather than her own emerald ones.

"Who are you?" she managed to whisper.

"I am you and you are me," the other her replied.

"I don't understand."

"I am the you that you have repressed for so many years. I am the part of you that remains untapped, unused." Robin could only stare at her in confusion. "I am the power that you refuse to admit to having. I threaten you by my very existence because you refuse to embrace the power within you, which is me. You are afraid you will not be able to control me once you have sampled my power and that you will lust for more. Even now you are contemplating whether or not you should destroy yourself now lest you fall victim to me."

Fear gripped Robin's heart for her mirror image spoke was the truth. Yet, she did not want to admit that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You could have awakened a long time ago yet you forced yourself into a fake coma as a punishment for enjoying your power. Tell me, when you thrust your power at that witch, did you not relish in the power? Did you not lust for more?"

"No...no! It's not like that!" She gripped her ears in a pitiful attempt to drown out the inner voices of her mind. "It's not like that." 

"Oh? Or did you force yourself into a coma to run away from your very being? Are you so afraid that you cannot face who you are?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed in frustration. 

"You are a witch, Robin, the Eve of witches. You cannot deny your very being."

"I am not a witch!" With that, Robin turned her rage-filled eyes upon her own image and flames licked away every last trace. She broke down in tears while her own words, in a sense, inundated her mind. _You cannot deny your very being._

"I am not a witch and I will prove it to you...to myself," she whispered as she passed out.

* * *

Another week had passed and Amon was off his crutches, but Robin showed no signs of awakening. The white gauze had been removed to reveal minor burn marks etched lightly into the tender skin around her eyes. Most of the other burns were little more than light discolorations by now except for a rather large and dark scar on her left arm that ran from elbow to wrist. It was strange because it was not caused by a fire but by a sharp object with jagged edges. No one knew where it had come from. The most probable scenario would have been that the witch caused it with its powers but the problem with that was that the scar had appeared the week _after_ the hunt. 

Just another oddity among the growing list of strange occurrences.

Amon stayed by Robin's side ever so vigilantly, staying at the hospital for nearly all twenty-four hours of the day. The rest of the STN-J members were worried as well, but they had a job to do and had to continue hunting without Amon or Robin. It was difficult, but not impossible. They came to visit whenever they had spare time, but even the ever optimistic Dojima was beginning to lose hope of Robin ever awakening.

After all, the doctors still didn't know what was wrong with her. Nurses came to check up on her but the visits were becoming less frequent. They figured that other than the fact that Robin was still in a coma, nothing else serious was wrong with her. Well, that and the damaged nerves in her eyes.

This day seemed to be no different from the others and Amon had developed a steady routine. Karasuma would drop him off at the hospital early in the morning and he'd go see Robin for a couple of minutes before heading off to physical therapy. When that was done, he'd grab a cup of coffee and stay in Robin's room until lunchtime. Then he'd head off to the hospital cafeteria and snatch a quick bite to eat. After lunch, he went back to Robin's room again and watched over her silently, sometimes holding her hand or running his fingers through her long dark-blonde hair. Her hair had grown a good couple of inches during her unconsciousness, but it suited her well, fanning out beneath her head and cascading down her shoulders with curled tips. When the hospital visiting hours were up, Karasuma would drop by to pick him up and the cycle would repeat the next day.

But this day _would_ be different.

The moment Amon left for his lunch break, Robin began to shift uncomfortably in her bed. She kept on mumbling words that made no sense when strung together and her stirring grew violent. She thrashed about on the bed and ripped off the cords connecting her to the heart monitor as well as disconnecting herself from the IV that kept her hydrated. Monitors and machinery fell crashing to the floor before getting incinerated by a eerie blue fire that would disappear as quickly as it appeared. A strange draft of wind whipped up around her although the windows were shut tight and prevented any stray debris from striking her.

Doctors and nurses streamed to her door but no one could get inside. It seemed like someone had locked door from inside which was impossible. Not that anyone would really try and go inside with the chaos Robin was unconsciously creating anyway. Finally, one of the Robin's regular nurses had the bright idea of finding Amon and did so.

He was in the middle of a sub sandwich when the nurse came running to him out of breath and streaming a bunch of words and sentences together in slight hysteria. He took her for crazy until he heard "Robin" and "trouble." Dropping everything, he took off for Robin's room as fast as he could.

By the time he arrived, the hospital staff weren't the only ones gathered around the door. Patients and the families of patients had come out to see what the ruckus was all about. Thus, a rather large crowd had formed, barring his way to the entrance. He shoved and pushed through them more easily than he expected. Most people jumped out of the way in alarm when they saw his frosty gaze fixed to the door.

Someone--a nurse he presumed--tried to tell him that the door wouldn't open but he disregarded it. Just because they couldn't open doesn't mean that he couldn't.

He tested the handle and found that it wasn't locked but that it seemed like something heavy was pushed up against it on the other side to prevent people from entering. Pushing down heavily on the handle, he leaned back to gain leeway and slammed his shoulder into the door. A loud crack echoed through the halls and he wasn't sure that it was from the door. He tried it again, but this time the door unexpectedly gave way easily and he stumbled into the room, nearly falling flat on his face.

When he steadied himself and turned to look at Robin, his heart stopped and jaw dropped open in surprise.

The woman that stood--or rather levitated--before him was taller and more developed than Robin but there was no doubt in his mind that she was still one and the same. But then again, there was something different about her presence. Something cold and inexplicably chilling. Something frightening beautiful. Something sinister.


End file.
